President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, marking the first conversation between the leaders since their historic in-person summit in November and the latest in ongoing efforts by US and Chinese officials to defuse tensions between the two superpowers.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden spoke by phone on Tuesday, as the two countries sought to make headway in their limited areas of aligned interests amid heightening tensions between the two powers.

“The two heads of state had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on Sino-US relations and issues of common concern to both sides,” state news agency Xinhua reported.

President Biden held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time since July 2022 on Tuesday, the White House announced.

The White House has yet to offer details about the call, but Biden and Xi were expected to discuss Taiwan, narcotics, artificial intelligence, and China's support for Russia against Ukraine. The White House described the conversation as merely a "check-in" between the two leaders.

World leaders congratulated Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for a historic third presidential term even as President Biden warned that the U.S. will not endorse independence for the island.

"We do not support independence," Biden told reporters when asked for comment on DPP candidate William Lai’s victory over the rival Koumintang (KMT) party following Saturday’s election. 

A high-level US delegation of former top officials will arrive in Taipei later on Sunday, putting to the test China’s restraint in its response to its democratic neighbour’s presidential election.

Taiwan on Saturday elected Lai Ching-te president, giving his Democratic Progressive party an unprecedented third term in office.

China has denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist because he has a record of association with the wing of the DPP which favours formalising Taiwan’s de facto independence.

Taiwanese voters struck a blow to China on Saturday as they elected a president who has vowed to protect the island’s democratic way of life from Beijing’s influence.

Lai Ching-te, the presidential candidate for Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, won the closely-watched election, with partial results showing he had taken 40.2 per cent of ballots cast as his two opponents conceded defeat in front of supporters.

Taiwanese voters swept the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te into power on Saturday, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, as China said it would not give up on achieving "reunification".

Lai's party, which champions Taiwan's separate identity and rejects China's territorial claims, was seeking a third successive four year term, unprecedented under Taiwan's current electoral system.

Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party pulled off a historic third consecutive presidential victory on Saturday as voters shrugged off warnings by China that their re-election would increase the risk of conflict.

Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s current vice president, declared victory on Saturday evening while his two opposition rivals both conceded defeat.

“This is a night that belongs to Taiwan. We managed to keep Taiwan on the map of the world,” Lai told thousands of jubilant supporters at a rally after his win.